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Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Poway Synagogue Shooting

The man accused of killing one woman and injuring three other people appeared in court for the first time, pleading not guilty to five felony charges, including murder with a hate-crime special circumstance. NBC 7’s Melissa Adan has more. (Published Tuesday, April 30, 2019)

John T. Earnest, 19, of San Diego was charged with one count of murder with a hate-crime special circumstance and gun allegations, three counts of attempted murder with hate-crime and gun allegations and one count of arson of a house of worship.

Earnest is accused of walking into Chabad of Poway Saturday armed with a semi-automatic rifle and five additional 10-round magazines on his tactical vest. A tactical helmet was found later in the defendant's car, the prosecutor said.

Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, was shot twice as she turned to flee, officials said. She died from her injuries. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein was in the immediate area and was shot in the hand. He sustained injuries to both hands including the loss of a finger.

"The defendant turned his rifle toward one of the rooms full of congregation members and fired additional rounds," Deputy District Attorney Leonard Trinh said.

Trinh said the suspect allegedly fired eight to 10 rounds before the rifle appeared to jam or malfunction and the suspect couldn't fix it.

“There is a moratorium in the State of California, however, the law is still that California has the death penalty, so there is not a bar for seeking the death penalty, it just means that while the governor is the governor, there will not be executions,” the DA said.

The other two victims in the shooting were 34-year-old Almog Peretz and 8-year-old Noya Dahan. The girl was released from the hospital Saturday night and Peretz was released Sunday. Both are recovering.

Peretz, alongside several members of the Chabad of Poway synagogue, sat in the front row of the courtroom inside the Hall of Justice downtown as Earnest was arraigned.